Apple
Apple Rumors Seemingly Drive Samsung's Strategy Again
Samsung held their annual Unpacked event today to formally take the wraps off of their next generation flagship phones. The Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra are exactly what anyone who follows this industry expected. Minor hardware upgrades with a boatload of AI features that may or may not actually be useful. While these were the real entrĂ©e of todayâs event, there was a fourth S25 model presented at the very end of the show. The Galaxy S25 Edge is Samsungâs new design-first, ultra-thin, hero device. As far as I can tell, itâs an S25 but thinner and missing one of the cameras. Now if all of this is sounding familiar to you, join the club.
Last May, the first murmurs that Apple was working on a âslimâ iPhone 17 model started to percolate around the industry. On May 5th, 2024, my buddy Chance Miller at 9to5Mac reported on an investor note from Jeff Pu that mentioned a new slim model that would be replacing the plus. In July, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo corroborated the rumor when reporting on new Apple chipsets. On August 1, 2024, YouTuber and leaker Jon Prosser shared that he believed the device was real and it would be the first iPhone to adopt the âAirâ modifier. Ultimately, on August 11, 2024, Mark Gurman also confirmed the âiPhone 17 Airâ was in the works for next fall. In just the past few weeks, Mark and Ming Chi-Kuo have continued to reiterate that the device exists and is still expected to launch this fall. In fact, it appears that we have actually seen the new design already.
Now letâs step back a bit, it was clear that Apple was indeed working on an ultra-thin new iPhone focused on being a highly desirable beautiful object as early as May of 2024. It was even clearer by mid-August as the rumor continued to be substantiated. Enter October 2024, Samsung is reported to be working on their own âslimâ version of the Galaxy S25. That came as no surprise to anyone whoâs been around awhile. Samsung is well-known for releasing, how shall I say this, Apple âinspiredâ products of their own. Thatâs as cordially as I think I can frame it. Todayâs event seemingly lent further credence to this. Very little information was shared about the Galaxy S25 Edge. The press got virtually no details and no one got to go hands-on with it. The company also didnât reveal a price or release date. All we got, as reported by 9to5Google, was that it should land around April. Heck, the company didnât even mention it in their English press release today and as far as I can tell it isnât listed as a product on their website. All it got was a single brief mention on the Korean press release.
It is clear that the product is not finished or ready to fully share with the public. In other words, its development likely didnât start that long ago. This may be the best example of an Apple âinspiredâ device trying to preempt the Cupertino companyâs own innovations. It sure looks like Samsung moved forward with this device, potentially last spring, because Apple was rumored to be working on the âiPhone 17 Airâ and they wanted to beat them to the punch. May 2024 to April 2025 is nearly a year of development. Itâs not farfetched to think that they cobbled something together, after all they control much of the supply chain.
This wouldnât be the first time theyâve appeared to have done this either, I can recall the conspicuous launch of the terribly received Galaxy Gear in October 2013 after over a year of Apple smartwatch rumors. Apple Watch was first rumored to be in development in December of 2011 by The New York Times with the first Galaxy Gear leak popping up in February of 2013. That fall they got the exact headlines I imagine they wanted. And strategy aside, Samsung seemingly continues to introduce product designs that look awfully similar to Apple ones. See a new VR device announced back in December but shown off today called âProject Moohanâ that looks a lot like the Vision Pro or last yearâs Galaxy Buds and âUltraâ watch.
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My Formula for the Perfect Apple Podcast
Itâs no secret that podcasts have become an increasingly popular medium over the past decade. However, many have also become more political and polarizing. Now, one may have expected this from business or news-focused shows, but this has also become an issue with Apple podcasts. To be clear, I am not talking about the Apple Podcast app but podcasts about Apple. And I am not limiting my use of the term âpoliticalâ to consternation about the American government; I am also referring to the pessimism directed at new foundational technologies like artificial intelligence.
The next four years will be tough for many people. Theyâll want an escape, even if they agree with some of these political views in principleâlook no further than MSNBCâs plummeting ratings for proof.
As a devoted podcast listener, I want more shows that are fun. I want shows that at least try to be optimistic, that understand the practical reality of our life in 2025 and want to connect with the audience at a more intimate level. I get a real sense that some of these shows have grown out of touch. Iâve spoken with others in the Apple community about this, and I know I am not alone in feeling this way. Of course, thereâs always room for serious conversations, but there needs to be some balance.
Iâm sure that some would argue that itâs Apple and not the shows that have âlost the plotâ (I said as much on Threads recently). But I donât think Apple has changed much from a decade ago. Tim Cookâs Apple may be undeniably different from Steve Jobsâ Apple, but pretending that change happened recently is denying reality. That said, letâs talk about the building blocks of what a new Apple podcast should look like.
Diverse viewpoints: The perfect show needs a variety of hosts (or frequent guests) with differing opinions. Thereâs been a sort of an expansion of homogenous viewpoints; some seem so sure theyâre right that theyâve grown snarky, alienating parts of their audience. A great conversation, one thatâs truly engaging, needs to have a solid mixture of folks who can explore a topic from every angle without fear of descending into an argumentative abyss. Thatâll keep conversations fresh and make them more relatable.
Focus on whatâs actually important: While personal stories and anecdotes add color, they should at least complement the core topic of discussion, not overshadow it. Itâs one thing to talk about the products youâre using or your workflow; itâs another to spend too much time discussing things the average listener cannot relate to.
New voices that arenât jaded: Weâre currently listening to many of the same voices we were listening to a decade ago. Thatâs not a dig; I deeply respect people who have been on the Apple beat for ages. However, we also need to hear from more folks who see things from a modern perspective, people who arenât quite so jaded or tired.
Optimism about new technologies: Itâs one thing to critique an aspect of a technology; itâs another to be diametrically opposed to it even existing. You cannot talk about technology from an unbiased or at least somewhat neutral perspective.
Take yourselves less seriously: These shows are supposed to be fun. Theyâre not supposed to be adversarial or profound; at their core, they are entertainment.
Bring back practicality: Letâs stop complaining about things that we canât control and focus on talking about the things that we can.
Balance the politics: Politics have their time and place. But when tuning in to an Apple podcast, I want to hear about the products and the technologies. Period. Straying into personal political opinions risks alienating listeners, especially when thatâs not what they tuned in for. If I want to know about Appleâs relationship with the government, Iâd rather hear it from professional journalists who cover those specific fields and frankly understand what theyâre talking about. Thereâs no reason to create an adversarial relationship with your listeners, especially when they may agree with you.
Easily digestible: I love a long podcast. However, the issues Iâve laid out here tend to lead to unnecessarily long shows that talk more about irrelevant than relevant topics.
Some Apple podcasts are already doing many of the things Iâm suggesting here, regardless of whether theyâve been around for years or are newer to the scene. But thereâs also clearly room for something different. While the existing shows Iâve critiqued may have their audience, itâs worth asking: How long will that last?
Okay, thatâs enough from me: What do you think? Is there room for a fresh, fun, and engaging new Apple-centric podcast?
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Lumon Takes Grand Central
Around lunchtime on Tuesday, I heard that Apple had started to set up an elaborate Lumon office space inside Grand Central Terminal to promote the return of Severance. Thankfully, I donât work too far from one of the largest train stations in the country, so I wandered over to see what theyâd built. Upon arrival, I was immediately in awe of the Lumon computers and keyboards that us nerds have been drooling over ever since they first graced our screens a few years ago. As far as anyone could tell, these were faithful recreations of the desks from the show.
I was fortunate enough to get up close and personal with the cube while it was uninhabited. I took tons of shots of the computers and small pieces on the desks. These are the kinds of details that I toil over. After all, Iâve been following the âdetailsâ company my entire life now. Things got really interesting when a few actors walked into the cube built around the desks to do some âwork.â Now all of this wouldâve been enough. To me, it was an extremely cool alternative to a traditional billboard or other kind of advertisement. I took plenty of pictures, picked up a bite, and walked back to my office.
A few hours later, just as I was getting ready to head home I learned that not only was the showâs director Ben Stiller on the scene but that all of the actors from earlier had been replaced by the actual cast of the show. Now things were getting interesting. It hadnât even crossed my mind that Apple might do this earlier in the day, though it should have.
When I arrived back at the station, the crowd was quite large and only continued to grow. Earlier when I visited there was almost nobody there outside of people who were clearly working for Apple and a few pedestrians briefly stopping to take a peek. This time though, there were influencers, celebrities, and a ton of fans. All of them, quietly watching Adam Scott as Mark S., Britt Lower as Helly R., Zach Cherry as Dylan G., and Tramell Tillman as Mr. Milchick.
Once I worked my way through a few layers of people, I came face to face with none other than Ben Stiller. If you donât know, Ben Stiller serves as the director of Severance and is credited with a great deal of the showâs success. Of course, heâs not alone. But câmon, itâs Ben-freakin-Stiller. It was incredibly cool to chat with him, having grown up watching his films and having become a massive fan of his father in later years. Jerry Stillerâs Arthur Spooner holds a very special place in my heart.
After congratulating Ben on the new season and snapping a selfie, I walked around the cube to see the actors working from all different angles. They didnât drop out of character once. After a bit, Patricia Arquette almost magically appeared out of the crowd and entered the cube. Ms. Cobel had arrived to survey the work that the macrodata refiners were doing.
Patricia Arquette is one of the best parts of Severance, so seeing her as Cobel in the flesh was a particularly special experience. Though nothing compares to seeing Adam Scott as Mark S. up close. He embodies that character so well, itâs truly wild to see. I had hoped that I would get to snap a selfie with Adam, but the cast remained in character the entire time, even when they exited the cube. As a diehard Parks and Rec fan, it was a bucket list moment to get within feet of the former mayor of Partridge, Ben Wyatt: Human Disaster.
This was an experience Iâll never forget. Why? Not just because it was an epic Apple marketing stunt that immediately belongs in the pantheon of historic Apple marketing moments, but because it was a wholesome shared experience with the other folks there. Watching streaming services tends to be an activity many of us do on our own, and when it comes to television in particular, there isnât quite a movie theater setting to enjoy them in. So collectively seeing the Lumon staff work in person, together, in one of the busiest commuter hubs was not only different but remarkable. It was a uniquely New York moment, and it reminded me of how lucky I am to live here.
Ultimately, thereâs a lesson here: Itâs about people. I fanboyed over the pop-up, the set pieces, the computers, the desks, the carpet, all of the nerdy stuff. But what I didnât expect was the impact the humans would have on me; they blew me away that night. Lots of folks like to say that âApple is the new HBO.â Theyâre right, and this event is proof. Itâs also a reminder that Apple succeeds when they focus on people. Because what really makes technology meaningful is how humans use it to, as Steve Jobs once said, âexpress their appreciation to the rest of humanityââ whether theyâre actors, builders, or a nerd like me.
Special thanks to James Bareham for helping me edit, go subscribe to his Substack!
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Reflecting on 13 Years Without Steve Jobs
On October 5th 2011, Iâd spent the day shadowing my older cousin at his high school. I remember talking with his friends at lunch about how amazing Siri looked on the iPhone 4s and getting home in the afternoon, absolutely exhausted by the prospect of high school. I really only remember this day as vividly as I do for one reason. Later that evening, I was watching tv when my iPhone buzzed. The push notification that had just been delivered to my iPhone 4 said that Steve Jobs had passed away.
While I had only just turned 13 a few weeks earlier, Steve had been my hero for many years. Ever since my dad introduced me to the Mac as a little kid I had been absolutely enamored both by Apple and by the man who built it. I wanted nothing more than to someday be as cool, creative, and successful as Steve Jobs. My childhood bedroom was covered in prints, magazine covers, Apple posters, books, memorabilia, and so on. I was as big of a Steve Jobs fan as you could get. Iâd pretend to give Apple keynotes with the family iMac, Iâd wait for every product announcement with bated breath, Iâd consume every bit of content I could from podcasts (before they were cool) and the blogs. Unlike my friends who looked up to athletes, musicians, actors, and so on, I was the one weirdo who was fascinated by a company and its chief executive. I remember friends checking in on me that night and I recall going into school the next morning where my teacher handed me a very kind note. Everyone around me had an inkling of what was going through my head.
Over the years my fascination with Steve evolved. It became less about the products that heâd introduced us to, the ones that left immeasurable impacts on our lives, but more about his way of thinking. His philosophy became the basis for my college essay and I have spent countless hours parsing quotes, speeches, and so on. He wasnât just special because of his extraordinary taste, or his unbelievable ability to pull together the smartest people and squeeze every last drop of talent out of them, or even his unmistakable (and to this day unmatched) presentation chops. He was special to me because of how he saw the world. There are so many insights worth sharing and studying. But it really boils down to one quote that hits me like a freight train every time I think about it and I think about it quite often:
Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it. You can influence it. You can build your own things that other people can use. And the minute you understand that you can poke life, and if you push in, then something will pop out the other side; that you can change it, you can mold itâthatâs maybe the most important thing: to shake off this erroneous notion that life is there, and youâre just going to live in it versus embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it. I think thatâs very important, and however you learn that, once you learn it, youâll want to change life and make it better. Because itâs kind of messed up in a lot of ways. Once you learn that, youâll never be the same again.
My admiration for Steve and his way of thinking means that I have put an enormous amount of pressure on myself over the years. People close to me know that thereâs a lot going on in my head at any given moment. Like everyone I have my own personal challenges. Pressure isnât always good. In fact itâs often been difficult to contend with. But I still view the pressure as a net good. I wouldnât be where I am right now without the fire that he ignited within me. While I still have a long way to go before I even remotely come close to the expectations that little Parker set for himself many years ago, I know that I am on a good path. The jobs that Iâve been fortunate enough to land, the amazing people Iâve met that I can now call friends and mentors, and the unforgettable experiences over the years all came ultimately as a result of the hard work that I put in. That work ethic can be traced back to what I learned from Steve. I wouldnât have met and been hired by the folks I worked for at BuzzFeed, I wouldnât have joined 9to5Mac and made what I hope are lifelong friendships, and I certainly wouldnât be able to work with the folks at The Verge who Iâve looked up to for over a decade.
I just recently turned 26, which means that Steveâs been gone for half of my life now. Yes, itâs been 13 years. It boggles my mind that it was that long ago. I miss him immensely. Not just because I constantly wonder what life would be like in a world where Steve Jobs was still the curator of our digital lives, but because of what other wisdom he may have been able to bestow upon us. It feels strange writing this, particularly because many technology executives now often feel like parodies of Steve. They all want to be technologically transformational, but they also want to shoehorn themselves into thought leader roles. Steve never really strived to be a thought leader, he naturally became one. To this day, thereâs no other person who has ever been able to step into the hero role for me. No one even comes close and frankly, I worry about the young nerds today and who they may look up to. 13 years later there are still massive voids in leadership, in character, and in creativity.
I think itâs safe to say that I am not alone in missing Steve. No one ever truly believed that thereâd be a figure like him again. There never was going to be âthe next Steve Jobsâ as much as many of us wanted to believe it. It kills me that I never got to meet him, but thereâs no question that there is not a single other human being outside of my family that has had the same kind of colossal impact on my thinking. Waking up every single day, realizing that the things around me were simply made up by people no smarter than the rest of us is not only humbling, itâs an unbelievable motivator. If you want to change something, you can do it if you put in the work. No matter what you choose to do with your life, just do it with purpose. Whatever you make, make it great. It doesnât matter the size of the âdent in the universe,â as long as you make one. A desire to make my own dent is what gets me out of bed every morning. Itâs what drives me.
Thanks for everything Steve.